


Give Up: Breakeven

by wuyeong (junhoism)



Series: stretch or tangle, but never break [2]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mafia & Gangs, M/M, Minor Kang Daniel/Ong Seongwoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-31 04:32:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12674502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junhoism/pseuds/wuyeong
Summary: If you told Jinyoung some years ago that he'd fall in love with a Park Jihoon, he'd laugh in your face and ask,in this world?A few years later, though, he finds that it's true.(winkdeep love story in 5 parts in a mafia!au setting.)





	Give Up: Breakeven

IV.

jihoon stares at his watch, counting the seconds to the time they were supposed to meet up. at the fifty fourth second of the minute, jihoon looks up, tapping his finger on the wooden table absentmindedly, wondering if _he_ was really going to come. if he'd agree this time, if they'd be able to patch things up this time. properly.

 

fifty-eight. fifty-nine. at the striking of the second hand, the movement of the minute hand, _he_ steps in. _he's_ simple, and just like any other person there is. he spots jihoon and walks to their table. the expression on _his_ face is unreadable, and just like their first meeting, _his_ phone rings just as _he_ seats himself at the table.

 

 

 

I.

and so, three years ago, jinyoung would've laughed if you told him he'd be partnered up with someone that wasn't his best friend, daehwi. of course not, he wouldn't go with anyone who, well, was not daehwi. jinyoung was fiercely loyal to his friendship with him, so upon being assigned to a different partner, he immediately stiffened.

 

"make it make sense to me. why would you do this?" he had asked seongwoo, even trying to persuade daniel to tell his boyfriend that _this was not just gang, you know!_

 

the thought of this can make the entire group of them turn into laughing fits, at jinyoung's stubbornness, at the thought that he actually rejected the offer to be with jihoon. seongwoo himself would laugh at his idea of putting the two together. equally skilled, but at the same time, equally arrogant and confident.

 

a pair that could make or break. it wasn't even about being a couple, or making a relationship work. it was simply about being a team, and completing a small task successfully without calling for backup.

 

a kind of twist of fate, when they were called by sungwoon to meet up at a small cafe, to go over the details of their mission. it was funny, how sungwoon got sick that day and forgot to tell the two new members to meet alone. the files had been passed to jihoon earlier, for him to go over himself -- his own initiative.

 

by this point, jinyoung had been forced into it, almost blackmailed by seongwoo to be removed of all privileges at seongwoo's parents restaurants. he relented, in the end, wanting his free food in exchange for partnering up with a _nugu, whoever this kid is,_ his own words.

 

they meet simply, small talk and compulsory introductions given. instructions as well, and because sungwoon was sick, jihoon had no choice but to share with jinyoung, a first for him in anything, to actually give a part of him.

 

 

 

II.

needless to say, they got on quite well, learning and learning about each other. jinyoung slowly noticed jihoon’s habit, of tapping on the table and his constant need to complain, his hidden shyness, his cute embarrassed faces.

 

maybe it wasn't love, but it was close enough. at the same time, jihoon started to notice and stare more often. jinyoung’s clapping habit, his smile which showed his eyes crinkling slightly, his habit of scrunching his nose -- everything about him, and how all these things didn't make him perfect, but it made him who he was.

 

so was the countless days and nights of dreaming of 'should i confess now?' and 'no, he seems to like someone else...' until seongwoo got tired of seeing jinyoung keep stealing his boyfriend to ask for advice as they went shopping together, this that, and made jihoon and jinyoung go on another mission together for them to get their minds into the same page.

 

"yah, was i that obvious when i liked you?" seongwoo asked daniel, as they stared at the two bicker and banter when they went for a "double-date", which both jinyoung and jihoon insisted otherwise with a strong "we're not together!" to which the couple rolled their eyes to.

 

"nope," daniel replies, "you were even more obvious."

 

even jinyoung's best friend, daehwi, was getting tired of seeing the two in denial, almost literally forcing jinyoung on jihoon to save himself from all of the stories about _park jihoon is too blind to see my feelings!!_ on kakaotalk and jihoon's _daehwiii help me does he like me??_

 

all he wanted to do was show the other party the sappy text messages the other sent, but he knew it wasn't his place. let cupid do its job, he told himself.

 

it wasn't until a near death experience happened to jihoon that they realised they needed each other maybe a little more than friends.

 

"hey," jinyoung said, holding jihoon's lifeless hand in the hospital room. "wake up already. i have no one to fight with, it's kinda boring without you." and it was jinyoung falling asleep while watching jihoon, jihoon waking up, his voice hoarse from being unconscious for so long. it was jihoon's small "couldn't live without me, huh?" and jinyoung's "fuck, i thought you were dead!" and lastly, jihoon's "i'd never leave you behind."

 

it was them getting coffee and putting labels to relationships, it was jihoon's shy confession and "be mine?" in all the four languages jinyoung knew, even mimicking infinite's _내꺼하자_. jinyoung, too, took a turn at the song, jihoon looking horrified at one of his favorite songs being butchered at the karaoke. jinyoung threatened, "if you’re kidding with me, i'm gonna reveal to the world your ugly sleeping faces that i took for blackmail!" with jihoon replying, "you don't need to go that far, you idiot. i love you!"

 

“oh.” jinyoung stops short, then smiles. “i love you, too.”

 

they were together, and that was that.

 

 

III.

so, a while after they got together, jinyoung decided it was time for them to get couple rings. jihoon had complained at the time, "that's lame and corny!" but had agreed anyway. if his boyfriend wanted it, why not?

 

the design of the rings were simple, plain silver without any gems or stones but just with the engraved words 'be mine', quoting jihoon's confession,  on the inner side of the rings. then there were trackers in the rings, requested by jihoon and implemented by woojin.

 

"so i know where you are, even by any chance you go missing," he says, slipping the ring on jinyoung’s finger, to which jinyoung rolled his eyes to. "i can't believe you're still worried. i'm always with haknyeon or daehwi when i'm not with you." he smiled anyway, because at least he was concerned.

 

they made promises together, and one of the only things they promised was, "i'd never leave you behind," in reference to jihoon almost dying in a mission. and jihoon saying confidently, "i'll always protect you, no matter what the cost." and jinyoung had laughed easily because his promise was simple. "i'll always understand you, _understand_?" they dreamt and promised of _love_ and _the future_ and _us_ and _forevers_ under the sky, on the roof of the academy.

 

they'd stay until seongwoo would announce for the school's last call before closing, so _get out or get locked!_ and so they'd run until they past seongwoo, greeting him as they did, seongwoo muttering something about _kids in love these days._

 

that was the honeymoon period, sweet and beautiful, the calm before the storm. then work came, jihoon becoming solo and daehwi and jinyoung being partnered up again. they made it work, if there's a will, there's a way after all. there were times that someone had to be cancelled on with a _sorry, my flight isn't here yet_ or _sorry, work caught up._  

 

but somehow, along the road to _forevers,_ someone was left alone in the rain, without a text of apology or saying where the other party was. jihoon had to withstand two days of jinyoung's cold shoulder because he had to wait for four hours and it was freezing there. it was simpler then, his accepting apologies with hugs and a caramel macchiato. that was the first crack.

 

the second crack came at a party of seongwoo's inviting all his friends and connections. jihoon was blinded by jealousy when he saw jinyoung 'flirting' with some lai kuanlin, up and rising rookie of a new gang. they were just talking, but jihoon couldn't help but be insecure. kuanlin was taller, handsome and a bit younger, so what was up?

 

their conversation topics were simple, like where jinyoung trained, who he's with (" _want you once_ , you know, headed by seongwoo," jinyoung replied, smiling. maybe it was the alcohol, or something, but he forgot to mention his beloved boyfriend.), his favourite song... but jihoon did not take it lightly. jihoon got angry differently from jinyoung, he steamed slightly and was loud and sarcastic as his eyes shone with a certain provoking gleam.

 

jinyoung was quieter, voice small but venomous, straight to the point and shot in all the wrong places. it took two days for him to be okay, jinyoung having to constantly reassure him that he was his and only his. it was small apologies and butterfly kisses and breakfast in bed, until jihoon relented and "so... you're mine, right?" and jinyoung's smile accompanied by a bright "of course, and only yours."

 

it was uncontrollable, the final crack, that caused the glass to shatter, the fire to alight, the rationality to hit rock bottom. it was the both of them being blinded by fatigue and passion for their work.

 

jinyoung came back late from a mission with minhyun, disappointed to find jihoon in the living room working on a report for seongwoo and not greeting his on their first anniversary. he was quiet, just walking into their shared room and ignoring jihoon, simply texting daehwi. jihoon had quietly stepped into the room, waiting for jinyoung to notice him, he snapped, "sure, keep enjoying other guys' presence, and not mine. who's your boyfriend, here?"

 

his words cut like a knife, and jinyoung stands up, face set into the expression he always has when he feels wronged. "and who's the one who was hung up over his workload even when his boyfriend came home?" he was sarcastic and his eyebrow was raised, his annoyed tone coming out.

 

"oh, so it's my fault you were out late with your best friend," all the venom in his voice went to the last two words, targeting daehwi. it had been a touchy subject, daehwi, because he was so close to jinyoung. it made jihoon insecure, even when he reassured him it was platonic.

 

(the funny thing was the lack of truth to jihoon’s statement. jinyoung hadn't hung out or seen daehwi in weeks.)

 

jinyoung made a sound of disbelief, as if asking whether they were really having this conversation again. "it's work, wasn't that what you were doing? why are you only blaming me?"

 

jinyoung’s pet peeve was being blamed for something he believed he didn't do. jihoon knew that he had struck a nerve.

 

"don't," jinyoung hissed, as jihoon made a move of stepping towards him. jinyoung stepped back, almost as if he was intimidated.

 

jihoon’s eyes widened.

 

"are you... scared of me right now?" his tone became softer, but all he could see was jinyoung’s expression-- slightly distraught, breathing uneven. "oh man, you are. i can't believe you would..." he sighs, his eyes closing in surrender.

 

they stand in silence, until jihoon breaks the monotony. "choose, me or daehwi." jinyoung looks at him with a pleading expressing, as if begging him not to do it. "do it, let's get this over with." jihoon has a pained expression on his face, disappointed at his hesitation.

 

"i would've chosen you if simply anyone had asked, but you... i thought you would _understand_ ," jinyoung’s voice trembled at the last word. "the only thing i asked of daehwi," his emphasis on his best friend's name, "is that he understand when i'm always putting you first. it pained him, my best friend, but you made me happy."

 

"i can't believe you made me choose. i... thought you'd know better." he pulls at his hair, combing his fringe back, "i was wrong."

 

"i only promised to protect you, but somehow someone else seemed to be your knight in shining armor." jihoon says, as jinyoung looks at him, on the verge of tears.

 

jihoon takes a deep breath. "i think we need to take a break. reevaluate our priorities and clear our misunderstandings. it seems that we're both on different pages."

 

jinyoung’s head snaps up to stare at him, eyes filled with tears. "are you breaking up with me?"

 

his question was answered with a small "sorry", and jihoon turns to go, just taking his phone and coat with him. jihoon thinks jinyoung was the selfish one, but he two days after their break up, he realizes that seongwoo was called by jinyoung to pick him up once he left.

 

jinyoung thought jihoon was perfect, that _they_ were perfect. now, he scoffs at the thought. not all that glitters is gold.

 

they officially break up two weeks after that. it takes two weeks for jihoon to muster up the courage to get his on a free day and tell his that he can't take the cold shoulder, _let's just break up._

 

jinyoung doesn't cry but instead nods in understanding, and says, "okay. thanks ... for everything." his smile is small and it doesn't reach his eyes but it's something.

 

the older didn't notice at the time, but jinyoung was still wearing the ring. jihoon’s smile is tight-lipped and he turns on his heel and walks away, trying to find woojin and bury himself in studying different fighting styles. he pretends he doesn't hear jinyoung's choked up sobs as he walks away from him, or daehwi's 'oh my gosh, what happened?' echoing down the hallway.

 

he does, and he doesn't stop thinking about it for a long while, jinyoung’s cries still ringing in his head.

 

 

V. 

they get together after jihoon almost gets killed again (deja vu much?) while getting captured by yuehua's, and they realise, they can't let each other get hurt, and that they needed each other. they weren't officially together, but it was love, so that was that.

 

(“you two are such saps,” seongwoo says, snorting.

“that’s love, for you,” jihoon says, blowing jinyoung a kiss.

the latter jokingly swats it away as seongwoo pretends to throw up. later, though, when seongwoo’s left, jinyoung presses his lips to the crown of jihoon’s head.

“it’ll always be love, for me.”)

  


**Author's Note:**

> hi, junhoism here! i put this under this pseud bcs i originally wrote this in 2015 as a self indulgent piece for a diff fandom but never posted it. i recently recovered this draft, then thought it's perfect for winkdeep so i revised it and made it into this. if the layout is fucked pls lmk! thank u for reading and leave a comment/kudos if u enjoyed! 
> 
> (if it sucks um im sorry pls blame 2015 me and exit to ur left.)
> 
> as usual @[neomuverymark](http://twitter.com/neomuverymark) on Twitter.


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